Retail store marketing systems for marketing in many retail stores include a central computer system (CS), a plurality of retail store POS computers, one at each retail store, and a plurality of local marketing computers, one residing at each retail store, and communication networks enabling communication between the central CS and the retail stores. The networks include both a local area network (LAN) at each retail store and a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet enabling communication with the central CS. Each local marketing computer may be a network client in the retail store's LAN, and each marketing computer may also have a separate telephone modem dial-up or network connection enabling it to communicate with the central CS. The local marketing computers typically include a text file (database) of rules from which printing of specified coupons are triggered by signals from the POS computers in the retail store. Marketing printing occurs at a marketing computer printer connected to the marketing computer. Typical retail stores have a plurality of checkout lanes. At the end of each lane is a POS terminal and a POS terminal printer connected to the POS computer via the LAN. There is one marketing computer adjacent each POS printer. The marketing computer has a correspondence identifying which marketing printer is adjacent which POS printer.
In response to reading product bar code items (product identifier and quantity data) and a customer identification number (CID) during each transaction, the POS terminal transmits over the LAN a marketing computer data stream, the marketing computer data stream including header information in a specification that the marketing computer is programmed to read, so that the marketing computer can interpret the data read at the POS terminal, and then process and determine promotions to offer to the customer. This data includes for example customer identification, product identifications, and coupon identifications. The POS terminal is also coded to transmit end of transaction, total of transaction, tender type, and end of transaction data over the LAN with a header that is recognizable to the marketing computer.
The POS terminal is also programmed to cache the transaction data for a customer's transaction at the POS, as it is received, and at the end of the transaction, transmit a log of the transaction data for that transaction, in a POS computer data stream in a format that the POS computer is programmed to read, to the POS computer.
The data in the marketing computer data stream is generally redundant to the data in the POS computer data stream. The marketing computer generally does not read the data formatted for reading by the POS computer, and vice versa.
In prior art systems, the end of transaction (EOT) signal results in a prompt instructing the POS printer to immediately print (place in printer queue memory from which printing occurs without any further signals being required) transaction data for printing the register receipt for the customer's purchase transaction. The register receipt lists descriptions of items purchases, quantity, price, and total, amongst other data. The register receipt is a portion of a roll of paper tape stored in the printer. Typical paper tapes are on the order of a several centimeters in width. The length of the register receipt for purchase transaction depends upon the number of items purchased and listed on the register receipt.
Herein, CS means computer system.
Herein, POS means point of sale.